Refrigeration apparatus



w. ARDITO 2,225,678

REFRIGERATION APPA RATUS Filed July 11, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o o o ojiigkp o o il ib oi ii WITNESSES I I INgNTg igf I v will/0m r 0.

4a. m BY ATI'OR Y Dec; 24, w ARDTQ 2,225,678

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed July 11, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES:I lNvENTgBf ,e 7 5, LU/fl/am Dr o ATTOR EY J 1 moisture or frost. In thelatter Patented Dec. 24,1940] William Ardito, Springfield,

Mm, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Com- Pennsylvaniaa corporation of A Application July 11,1939, Serial No. zaaass 6 Claims.(cl; 62-103) My invention relates to refrigerator apparatus andparticularly to drip collectors for refrigerator eva'fiorators of thetype used, for example; in refrigerator display cases.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved drip collector ordrain bailie for the removal of condensate from a refrigeratorevaporator.

. It is another object of my invention to provide a drain baffle for anevaporator in which the fins are individually supported and retained byfrictional engagement by a suitable supporting mem- I v v i It. isanother object of my invention to provide a drain baflie or dripcollector in which, if the fins thereof break, it is only necessary toreplacethe broken fins instead of a whole section.

It is another object of my invention to substantially eliminate thefactory assembly cost of I fill drain bafiies for evaporators.

./ description and claims taken in connection with 4.

the accompanying drawings, forming a part of a this application, inwhich: I a Fig. i is a partial sectional view of a reirigerator showingan evaporator. a drain trough, and a drip collector constructed inaccordance withone embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the drip collector shown in Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the drip collector taken on theline III-IE oi Fig."2;

6% improved Fig. i is a partial plan view of the second ernhodlnlentofmy invention; and

7 Mg. 5 is a sectional view taken on Fig. d. i Referring specifically tothe dras for a detailed description of the first embodiment of my 45line v-v of i2 embodying fins i3 and arefrigerant containing coil M. Thecooling element is of the type which collects condensate either in theform of case, thecooling invention, numeral ii designates a heatinsulated refrigerator cabinet containing a cooling element element Itmust be periodically enters and defrosted and the condensate removed. IIn either case, condensate from the cooling element l2 falls downwardlyand is caught by a drip collector or drain baflie generally indicated 8at Ill. The drain baille Ii is'so constructed that water does not passdownwardly therethrough but air may pass in eitherdirectiontherethroush. The drain baflle II! is preferably inclinedslightly toward one side of the refrigerator cabinet ll, so i0 thatmoisture is carried to that side and is collected in a collecting troughwhich conveys the moisture, for example, to a suitable drain outside thecabinet.

In accordance with the iirstembodiment of my 15 invention, the improveddrain baiiie shown in Figs. 1 to 3, incluslve, is constructed in thefollowing manner. One or more supporting members It are fastened to theheat insulated cabinet H by any suitable means'and are provided withdown- 20 vwarcily bent flaps i! which lie parallel to and below the mainportion i8 of the supporting memher it. When the flaps ii are out outand bent, a plurality of aperaturesit are formed in the supportingmembers it.

Fins it are fed ofstrlps of sheet metal disposed at an angle of, forexample, as shown in the drawings. The fins are provided at their lowerendswith an upwardly bent portion 22 I which forms a trough 23. The finsare so spaced he that the trough of each fin overlaps vertically with aportion of the next, fin so that water falling on the iins 2i must hecollectedin one of the troughs it. A second V-shaped trough it issupported by the fin 20 below the trough 23 and he collects anycondensate forming on the underside oithefil. 4 V

The upper extremity oi the fins it are provided with ehoriaontal flangeit which slides between the downwardly hent flaps ii and the main body 3portion it of the supporting member it. A re button or protuberance itis formed on the horirental nge it at each portion thereofwhicli engagesthe flaps ll.

In assembling the fins 2|, onto-the supporting as members it it is onlynecessary to slide the individual fins under the flaps ll whereupon thefins 2! are irictionally retained in position. The buttons 26 extendinto the openings 88 in the supporting members it so that considerableio'rce'so is required to hand the flaps I! down suhlciently to againremove the fins, the buttons 28 thereby providing a frictional lockingarrangement.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 for a description of the second embodiment 0!my invention, it will be w formed at the bottom of each, are retained inposition by one flap it. The two fins 2l'are iormedinto' a unitarystructure preferably by spot weldingthe left-hand fin 21 to a longhorizontal member 29 which slides under the flap 2! and extendsoutwardly to the right-hand fin 21. Openings 33 are provided between thehorizontal members 29 to afiord circulation of air and collection ofmoisture. As in the former embodiment, the horizontal members 29 areprovided with buttons or protuberances II for frictional locking. Secondcollecting trough 32 are 'sup- 1 ported below the troughs 30 by a heatinsulating member 84, as in the first embodiment. From the foregoing itwill be apparent that I have provided an improved drip collector ordrain banle for collecting condensate from refrigerator evaporators andthe like wherein individual fins or sets of fins are frictionallyretained and locked in position. By utilizing such a construction it isunnecessary to assemble the firm in the drip collectors in the factory,broken fins may be individually replaced, and the manufacture of dripcollectors is facilitated because it is only necessary to change thelength of the supporting v member for any size drip collector desired.-

Whlle I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various other changes and modifications without departing from thespirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in'the appendedclaims. a v

What I claim is:

l. A drip collector for refrigerator evaporators and the like comprisinga plurality of individual sets of fins having their lower ends formed tocatch drip, each of said sets of fins consisting of at least two finsconnected together to form a unitary structure, and means for supportingthe fins so that the lower end of each fin overlaps vertically with aportion of a next fin and is spaced therefrom, said means alsofrictlonally retaining each of said sets of fins thereon so that saidindividual sets of fins are readily attachable to or removable from saidsupporting means.

2. A drip collector for reirigeratorevaporators and the like comprisinga plurality of. individual fins having their lowerends formed to collectdrip and means for frictionally retaining the fins in such a positionthat each fin overlaps vertically with a portion of a next fin and isspaced therefrom, said means including a sheet metal supporting memberextending transversely oi said fins. said supporting member having flapscut and a 1 m m noted that two :1,- having a trough atthem in place,andmeans cooperating between the fins and the supporting member forfurther frictlonally locking said fins in place.

3. A drip collector for refrigerator evaporators andthe like comprisinga plurality of individual sets-oi'fins having their lower ends formed tocatch drip, each of said sets of fins consisting of at least two finsconnected together to form a unitary structure and means forfrictionally retainingthe sets of fins in such position that each finoverlaps vertically with a portion of a next fin and is spacedtherefrom, said means comprising a sheet metal supporting memberextending transversely of said fins, said supporting member having flapscut and bent to lie substantially parallel to but in a difierent planefrom the main portion of said supporting member, means formed on eachset of fins for frictionally engaging said flaps, so that the flapsfrictlonally retain the cluding at least one fin and each finhaving itslower and formed to collect drip, and means for frlctlonally retainingthe collecting means so that each finoverlaps vertically with a portionof a next fin and is spaced therefrom, said retaining means-embodying asupporting member extend-;

ing transversely of said fins, said supporting member having flaps cutand bent to lie substantially parallel to but in a diiferent plane fromthe main portion of the supporting member, said out and bent flapsprovidinga plurality of openings in said supporting member, means formedon the collecting means for frictionally engaging said fiaps, so thatthe'ilaps retain the collecting means in place and further means forfrictionally locking said drip collecting means to said supportingmember.

5. A drip collector as claimed in claim 4 wherein the frictional lockingmeans consists of raised members on said drip collecting means whichextend into said openings in the supporting menaber.

6.".A drip collector for refrigerator evaporators and the likecomprising a plurality oi drip collecting means, each of said dripcollecting means including at least one fin'and each fin having itslower and formed to collect drip, means for supporting the collectingmeans so that the lower end of each fin overlaps vertically with aportion ofthenXt fin and is spaced therefrom, said means alsofrictionaliy retaining each of said collecting' means thereon, so thateach collecting meansis readily attachableto or removable from saidsupporting means. and a trough formed below each iin'to collectcondensate therefrom.

WILLIAM ARDITO.

